The present invention relates to a microbiological culture for triggering microbiological processes in bodies of water, soils, sediments and/or muds by using living chemo-lithoautotrophic bacteria; the use of this culture for removing harmful substances, such as nitrogen compounds and/or phosphate, from bodies of water and/or from the air; a method for cleaning and/or treating water and/or soils by using the microbiological cultures; as well as a kid-of-parts, comprising immobilized microorganisms as well as a container for receiving and for metered dispensing of the microorganisms under life-supporting conditions.
Standing and flowing natural bodies of water have in general a certain self-cleaning power, i.e., contaminations can be decomposed to a limited extent. This self-cleaning power, however, is often insufficient in the case of greatly contaminated bodies of water. Microorganisms, which, in particular, can convert harmful nitrogen compounds into innocuous compounds such as elementary nitrogen, are often added to these bodies of water for enhancing the (self)-cleaning action.
The added microorganisms serve for triggering and enhancing, or taking over, the already present self-cleaning power in natural bodies of water and aquatic systems.
The microorganisms can be used in the form of cell suspensions and in this form, optionally in an aqueous solvent, can be introduced into the bodies of water. Also, the use of microorganisms in powder form is possible. In these preparations, the microorganisms are initially transformed into so-called permanent forms, such as spores, or they are lyophilized. As a result of the current within the body of water and because of diffusion, the microorganisms do not stay put but reach also other regions of the body of water. In these regions, the living conditions for the microorganisms can be unfavorable so that removal of contamination does not occur. Moreover, a fixation of the microorganisms in specially loaded water regions of the bodies of water is not possible.
In the field of aquarium technology, problems occur already for minimal amounts of soluble nitrogen compounds, because, for example, ammonia is toxic for fishes already in concentrations of 0.01 mg/l. In particular, in aquariums, which are artificial systems, the self-cleaning process is particularly susceptible to failure already for minimal amounts of foreign substances, such as nitrogen compounds or the like, contained therein.
In particular, when in the bodies of water to be treated hardly any active microorganisms are present, active microorganisms must be added in sufficiently high active concentrations in order to activate the self-cleaning powers of the bodies of water. For the operators of garden ponds and small bodies of water, microorganisms used for improving the water quality are obtainable in general in the form of so-called permanent forms or in lyophilized form. For larger bodies of water, the use of cell suspensions is preferable. It is also known to use microorganisms in encapsulated form.
The cell suspensions known in the prior art and also the microcapsules containing microorganisms usually do not employ chemo-autotrophic microorganisms in defined communities of species. Also, they have the disadvantage that the preparations can be stored only for a very short period of time, and the microorganisms will die off already after one or two days. Such formulations are thus not suitable for commerce.
When microorganisms are to be used for inoculation of bodies of water in order to activate their self-cleaning powers, the employed microorganisms must be present in very high concentration.
For the stabilization of the nitrogen cycle, the microbiological processes, such as nitrogen fixation, nitrogen assimilation, and denitrification generally present no problem; the degradation efficiency of nitrification processes and also the mineralization of organic nitrogen compounds are often insufficient.
In many microbiological processes it is a disadvantage that the duration of activity of the microorganisms is only a few days and then they die off. Moreover, many microorganisms do not form spores and can thus not be transformed into a permanent form, for example, they can be lyophilized only with loss of their activity. These microorganisms must be used in the vegetative form which means, in turn, that they must be stored under life-supporting conditions.